Hundreds of Holocaust survivors receive bags of donated foods for Passover every year, thanks to JFSLA

As Jewish people around the world sat down to celebrate Passover, the holiday celebrating the Jewish people’s transition from slavery to freedom in ancient Egypt, one organization is making sure that Holocaust survivors in Los Angeles are well fed.

Hundreds of bags are being assembled with kosher foods donations for the survivors at Adat Shalom temple in West LA, set up by the organization of Jewish Family Service LA. The bags are stuffed with matzah, eggs, kosher meats, flowers, and more — everything a Jewish family needs for a Passover seder.  

Mother and son duo Heather and Parker Lake are volunteer drivers delivering the bags to eight recipients.

“In light of multiple world events, I feel like some of these people are being re-traumatized,” says Heather Lake. “They may be an aging generation, but they’re still here. JFSLA has one thousand holocaust survivors that are clients, and we have a waiting list.”

Their first stop is to Maria Ross’ house, a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor from what is today Moldova, but at the time belonged to Romania. At 10 years old, Ross was sent to a forced labor camp in Siberia during World War II.

“We went as a family about 10-12 people. And only three of us came back,” Ross said. “The rest passed away. My brother passed away. My aunts and uncles passed away. I’m very sad that it’s getting scary to be Jewish today.”

Jewish Family Service and Adat Shalom say they donated over 400 bags of Kosher food, and delivered two bags to 200 Holocaust survivors and their families.